Writing Task 2 Model Answers

Model Answer:

There are both pros and cons to raising children in a small town. Towns and villages usually offer a cleaner and safer place for children to grow up in, however, it is often more difficult for such small towns or villages to offer children a high quality education.

Cities and large towns often have problems with pollution and crime while small towns and villages are usually less polluted and provide a safer place for children. In smaller provincial towns you will often find close-knit communities where people know their neighbours, and locals are able to watch what happens in their neighbourhood. As a result, the streets are safer and the children are better protected. In addition, towns and villages don’t tend to include such a large number of factories or industrial plants, and have lower levels of traffic, so the natural environment is generally much cleaner. A more rustic environment with less air pollution and a greater sense of community therefore provides a healthier place to live in and raise youngsters.

However, children can be held back by limited academic opportunities in smaller towns and villages. In small towns, and especially in more remote villages, the small number of pupils and the schools’ more limited resources can make providing a high quality education difficult. With fewer pupils and less funds available these schools cannot offer such a wide choice of subjects or extracurricular activities, such as learning another language, or playing an instrument. Furthermore, with fewer pupils in each year group, classes cannot be organised by ability, so the best students may be held back by slower students. Finally, small towns do not offer the same higher education options as big cities and it can be much more costly for children to study at university if they need to leave home or commute a long way to do so. As a consequence of all these factors, the children raised in small towns and villages have lower chances of academic success.

To conclude, there are upsides and downsides to growing up in a town or village compared with a larger city. The environment in a city is often more polluted and less safe for children, but a city can usually provide opportunities for learning and development that a smaller town or village cannot match.